The National tribune., 1887-03-03


gens Of the Republic they had saved; la nothing
else has Legislation la this country been 80 hap
hazard. inconsistent, aud unequal az in the matter
of penSons THIS has been the Held pay e1ceAenee
for demagogs, and well have they cultivated II
in their own interest 10 the dctrlment OF the coun-
try aud with little profit advantage TO that class
OF soldiers that in every war has most OF the tight
ing 20 do. More particularly IL this true with ref
erencc 90 Legislators since the late war. Success
sive Congresses have lcgislated la tins matter ~
moved 10y fts 81 emotion or by hope oi political ad,
vantage. We have been governed Toy no settled
principles bat have driited aimlessly ne an log
until al lAsl we lind ourselves on a rock.
For n time AFTER every WAR we have adhered to
the only safe principle which governs the allow
anoe OF pensions IA every other eounlIg-d ls.phus
incurred in the service in the line Of duty. pen-
sion in such IL hat compensation for loss sus-
tanned la the defense of one scoury and Is as much
q right az pay while in the service. TINS II sale
principle n any war. u Is Just principle, and no
other u either sEie or strictly just.
Service pensions, If graduated according 10
length of service. may, under certain clrcum-
stance be justified ne in the case OF the Rcvolu-
tionary war. hut carried to the extent they were
carried by the acts OF 1874 and 1875 they become
absurd and ridiculous The grounds on which
pensions were claimed and allowed Go Revolution
AIRY soldiers 10y tie acts OF 1925 aud 49, were mat
the soldiers oi thut war were discharged at the end
of the war without Their pay, lheH haa never
been paid, and that IL the ground upon which the
Revolutionary soldiers came TO Congress ana asked
Now. Ma speaker. under fair Interpretation Of
the bill hoM many men would 20 on the pension
roll? There are 22 es1 men now drawing less thah
served three months and have not saved up com
peiency, ma maitcr whether then disability arose
ln the service OF has been incurred since.
AL are placed ou the same footing; the man who
shot through or Otherwise disabled an battle
gets nu more than tlic man Who never saw the luce
of the enemy but who has become dependent from
some cause Ia no sysv connected with the service,
The pension DE- mol reward for gallant service, nor
for wounds scars; mot a recognition Tor brave
deeds, not iur disability OF nnS KIND Tor 40 matter
how badly one may be Disabled unless he Is depend
eut also hC gtfs 40 pension. Noolstinction l. made
between thc hero ana the coward. or boiween three
geHre service and three months. DisahlltH, no
mntter how incurred. and dependence ARE the con-
sidcrGtuus which pensions are 60 be granted on
this Interpretation ~ the act.
Now. 10 increase the pensions 81 these 2i2 0o men
the rolls a. sl2 will take sl5Dl000 year. Next
there altogether on the army Ioils OF the Union
army 81 9G5.fs9 Deducting e-onilsi mcuis ana dup-
cations, and there were probably 2,iteWOO diherent
men on thc rolls. iiisestimnied Chat OF these there
are vet living aud uut on .he pension roll AT least a
million. bui this bll takes "a all wars. How
many there are on the ros Of Indnn wars and the
Mexican p'ur who would become beuCciaries Of this
act do 40. know, but probably not much under a
hundred thousand. How many OF all these might
claim inability full support it is difficult TO
tell but think ii safe TO presume that half would
sooner OF lster there for II docs not matter how
the disability has been or may be incurred,
~ 10000 u the number went upon the rolls II
would increase the cost OF the pcnsion-ro by
s6500uOg This added 10 the Sl50lO.000 resulting
from the increase Of the present roll, and we have
$4,000 NG0 year added. AZ ccrlainly would not he
less than 30 60 millions and adding the IS 600 600
now being pRlH OEt annually iOf pensions ana we
would have larger outlay FOR pensions than is
required TO support the largest standing army Ia
Europe.
Somebody las said that every laborer In Europe
" required 10 carry a soldier ON has back and II
tins bill passes ii may be said Ia this country that
every laborer has TO carry pens1oner on hs back.
/ know soldier who WAS Ia my command who
carries a ball la iiis chest lie gets Sc Would
lac be helped by this bills No. But the man who
did no service, who never saw the ensny. who was
good for nothing in the army out of it. who has
never tried to DO anything for himself, gets the
pension What miserable excuse for pension
bin. IA deerades the pension roll 10y making list
of paupcrs. Away with IT, Not soldier 10 "A
regiment Of tie army o. s6l will DC benefited by IL.
ID IL premium. therefore. ON improvidenoe and
laziness. ID ls bill TO promote pauperisn. and
vet you call n pension bill. The panper u raised
above tle soldier. lie gets sl2 while the soldier,
disabled the battlefield. shot through gets 81 or
Sc; and unless he will say he IL not able TO do "A
stroke Of work aud has never saved cent he gets
none al the benefits OF this BILL
Further, IL that Interpretation be the true one,
and what De- meant D. total Inability 10 labor and
entire dependence. your sl2 a month viii not keep
the man oui of tlie poorbuuse. lie viii be there all
the same bui draw his Si2 a month. in what city
on town 90 iils country VIII Sl2 month furnish "A
man wits food. clothing, fuel aud shelter9 Mo-
where. So you do not keep him OUT ol the poor
house, hut you have offered premium for pRupers
and oall ID a pension bill.
Better iar go al once o. a service pension gradu-
Ried 20 lle term Of service and give il further
reward FOR service, honor fOr valof. recognition
for bravery, rather than aims for mendicancy.
This bill Is not reward for service u is not recog
milton OF heroism; Il Dr. not honor for vRor; IL j.
nothing hni gTniuiIy 10 pRupers and premium
fof unilrif and laziness And yet il is honored ia
thls House a pension bill.
4 have been asked why voted for it, The bill
came up under suspension of the rules. with no
chance To amend IT, tried Go amend IT, wanted
the FIRST section To become n law. 1 do not put
upon that section the Interpretation placed upon IL
by ihe gentleman from Wisconsin. The pauper
feature OF tie b opposed when first ON iis pas
sage IN the House. ! thought had reason 20 he
ieve that ID would be amended at the other end oi
AL al pf KHrizp
case OF misplaced confidence. Nevertheless, after
opposing ihs feature Of the bil TINT what in-
duced nae % vote for II. d. n mistake. ! ought
30 have voted against 4 then. ar shall now
regret That ihe Mexican pension bill has become
a law. The mistake Thai te President made la
my judgment. not ia veioing this bill, but il
was IN not Vetoing that bin also. But cannol
blame the President for not taking all the respnnsi
biily ln regard 10 pension bills. The bill ought
never 10 have been sent 10 him. The best thing
that could hoe done now would be 10 repeal thai
nensurc sud 90 back TO The only safe, sound and
just principle OF pensions AZ compensation for dis
ability sl-inined in lighting the battles Of ths
country pensions q right. noi charities al
gmiuiiics. not aims 90 pnupers, bun N rig,ll
belonging to the defenders Of tlie country. honol
Tor Valor. reward for honorable service aud recog
milton Of tee noble sentiment Of patriotism.
Mr.. MORRISON, OF ILLINOIS:
MIR Speaker la my term OF Congressional serv
ice ] have voted for every general pension bil
passed by Congress. la that time the pension rOl
has grown from ~ millions Ia what will he la TN
coming year. shown boy appropi iaiions alread,
made 80 nillions Concurring IN the general pur
poses and objects 81 the pending bill and AWAY
ready 30 vote relief 20 al who have suffered frou
services rendered 90 their country. voted TO pas
a. j nm n0w satisfied tbat ils provisions ID
many paFilcuiurs-ihai iis general results will be-
different trDm what is friends clnimed for IT, ans
that II b fairly subject 60 many az the objection
urged against u in 3he veto. BESIDES Mr. speaker
tlc veto n 20 fer above the ordinary high waite
mark Of Executive independence aud official man
hood that I eci like sharing or taking my small
part Of responsibility for A. Applause on th'
The luws heretofore passed aud now in fore
provide pensions for the widows children aud de
pendent parents Of ali te dead soldiers OF the lat
and 20 al tle living n lao were disabled or sui
Tered Hiiy less lB body. mind or health as "A resui
of their soldier life aud military SERVICES The hil
ydsss pensions 10 tlIe soldiers Of all our "a
ssabiiics. losses and lindranccs 10 their ability 4
lsiln nslng, which disabilities, losses or hu
dances are moi tllc result of iraccnble to- haV
they any relation 60 tlhe army service Of the
be pcnsioncd in consequence Of such misfortune,
Tile n not without precedent. except 20 al
comparatively short time elapsed since the LAT
war When such pensions were provided for her,
ioiore u was 80 long AMER ihc that the suryis
ors might well be supposed 10 need their country
aid by reason 81 their advanced age, az la the b
Just passed ir iic relief of the soldiers of the Mex
can war, whose average age must lac fast approach
lnR iiiree-scure nud teGl.
But the President has not vetoed this bin Iccaus
a grant relief 10 too many few Of tiie sul
NiNors 81 tie several war;; nor much becatise Z
the length ~ time elapsed ID s. because of n,
uncertainty 40 who D. 60 Doe included aud VIA
excluded Who H. 10 share Ia the relief Ia be gran
edf What disability rdcgree of disability h 60 Il
provided for The discussion here discoses "a
1aci that thc friends 81 tllis lgl are moi agree
among themselves to who will or who will a,
Doe bencilieu by II.
Mr. Outhwaite LO.), Mr. Sowden PA an
Springer H. all Of whom voted for the bil
gave briefly their reasons for now chanpin